Reliving A Dangerous Game: Remembering The Saw Franchise’s Best Traps

Can you believe it's already been ten years since James Wan kickstarted one of the most successful horror franchises in genre history? While the Saw movies have gone on to rake in millions and millions of festive Halloween dollars, manned by numerous writer/director teams, it all started when Wan and his creative cohort Leigh Whannell created a horror movie with a better twist than M. Night Shyamalan has ever achieved. After blowing horror audiences away, Lionsgate Entertainment and Twisted Pictures realized the moneymaking potential behind future Saw movies, resulting in an October movie-going ritual that saw seven franchise films in total. Looking back on the Saw franchise as a whole, it's quite astounding to see how Jigsaw's traps evolved over time. Starting in such a simple manner with some crudely thrown together torture devices, each Saw movie introduces bigger and badder traps with working mechanical parts and more menacing scales. Every time you think a Saw film has plateaued, another death is introduced that sinks even deeper into a cinematic Hell full of dismemberment, destruction and torture. Say what you will about Saw's story arc, but the franchise granted us the chance to escape into a world of relentless, outlandish horror fun every Halloween - something I've already written about in my petition to bring Saw back! With the 10th anniversary of James Wan's original film upon us, Lionsgate is reopening Saw in theaters starting October 31st to celebrate the franchise's humble beginnings. In honor of the release, I've decided to celebrate in my own way by counting down the seven best traps from the entire franchise. I don't think I have to mention that this article isn't for the weak of heart, do I? 7) Saw 3D: The Fishhook Blending simplicity and complexity, "The Fishhook" trap is a bit of unspeakable horror that will leave your stomach in knots. When Bobby (Sean Patrick Flannery) discovers his publicist rigged in a piercing contraption, he also notices a string coming from the woman's mouth. Given a time limit, Bobby has to extract a key from the publicist's stomach by pulling the string before spikes stab into her neck. Sounds easy, right? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there's a fishhook tied to the key as well. Still sound easy? Fishhooks are dastardly little devices because they go in easy but dig themselves in upon extraction, as a jagged edge secures the hook in place. As Bobby tugs at the string, we can hear the hook tearing apart its victim's insides while getting caught on internal organs along the way. This is where the trap's final middle finger to Bobby becomes a hassle, as a noise reader sets the trap in motion if there's too much commotion. You can imagine what an obstacle this poses, because screaming bloody murder is the only option when a fishhook is pulling at your stomach lining. The whole scene will have your insides screaming, but the worst part is Bobby actually gets the key out - yet the publicist still dies. After fumbling around trying to get it in the lock, the spikes put an end to their victim's suffering, but Bobby has every chance to save a life by not becoming a total klutz. There's no sympathy from Bobby though, who punctuates the scene by screaming, "WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Easy for you to say when a fishhook isn't ripping through YOUR insides, Bobby. 6) Saw: The Barbed Wire Crawl Going back to James Wan's original Saw, it's Jigsaw's barbed wire maze that nails everything that makes his traps so unsettling. With a timer counting down, a man is forced to craw on his hands and knees through razor wire before a door locks and entombs him. Completely unclothed, the man finds himself being torn apart with every lunge forward, and the violent nature of Jigsaw's trap is highlighted when one of the investigating cops notices pieces of flesh still caught on the barbed wire. I guess there's something about tearing flesh that really unsettles me, going along with my previous selection. While the original Saw certainly doesn't have the upped technical prowess some of the future Saw films do, I think that's what makes this simple trap entirely more terrifying. There's no mechanical component besides a self-locking door, as the victim is simply forced to crawl through a thick bush of tiny, sharp daggers. My skin is crawling just thinking of the act, being torn from all directions, bleeding from a whole host of cuts covering my body. Nope, no thank you! 5) Saw II: The Syringe Pit This is most certainly a personal pick, as I'm sure anyone deathly afraid of needles will support my absolute hatred of the "Syringe Pit" trap from Saw II. My Mom always used to joke that she never worried about me doing drugs because I was too freaked out by needles (and she's completely right), so you can imagine the horrified look on my face when Amanda found herself thrown into a pool of hypodermic needles. As she pushes herself up, all you see are a bunch of needles stuck into her arms and legs, almost like a Christmas tree with ornaments dangling from each branch. Personally, I'd rather dive head-first into a vat of acid than a pool of needles. There's something to be said for Jigsaw's simpler traps, because while their nature may not favor elaborate technical designs, their plausibility amps an elevated fear factor. People are sick, twisted individuals, and I'm sure if someone tried hard enough, they could build their very own Syringe Pit. No, I'm not suggesting someone out there has such a devilish trap waiting to be sprung, but it's so much easier to fear something that's backed by comprehension. Hell, I didn't even want to Google search the picture for this segment - that's how I feel about the "Syringe Pit." 4) Saw V: The Decapitator Ah, the good ol' decapitation device from Saw V! I'm not sure why I love this one so much, but what's a Saw franchise countdown without some rolling heads? This trap is revealed early on in the film when the characters realize their game has begun, feeling the tight collars strung around their necks. In typical Saw fashion, a recording explains that their only chance at survival is smashing open the glass boxes in front of them and unlocking their leashes with the key inside. Sounds easy, except that the leashes are all connected to the same wire, so if one person runs forward towards the boxes, the others are pulled backwards, closer and closer to a very sharp device that will easily decapitate anyone pulled back with enough force - which is what happens after time runs out. What appeals to me most is the "survival of the fittest" nature this trap harnesses, because the only way everyone survives is through teamwork. As long as the victims go one by one, everyone should have the opportunity to free themselves and move onto the next death-dealing trap. Instead, people fight and selfishly run out to the boxes, not giving a crap about anyone else. Saw movies never disappoint as far as kills go, so it's obvious that someone isn't making it through without a deadly haircut, and the scene delivers mightily as a poor woman's body flies backwards, removing her head with one swift cut. Note to self - never seek out Jigsaw for a haircut. 3) Saw III: The Rack I pride myself on having a pretty strong stomach for Saw's signature gore, but that all changed once "The Rack" presented itself as the most vile trap to date. Sure, the coating of pig guts in the previous trap is pretty disgusting, but once "The Rack" starts firing on all cylinders, you begin to understand why Saw III was deemed NC-17 some seven separate times before a suitable cut was approved by the MPAA. The effects strike some of the most realistic bone-breaking I've ever seen in a horror movie, snapping a man's limbs like they're frail twigs in the hands of a child. When Jeff first discovers the trap, he sees a man named Timothy being held against what resembles a cross. His arms and legs are outstretched and his head is firmly secured, as the trap works by twisting the different parts of Timothy's body to the point of snapping. If Jeff can safely secure the trap's key without blowing his own face off (it's rigged to a gun), he can free Timothy, but we all know the odds of that happening in a Saw movie. Timothy's body is twisted and contorted in ways humans should never move, proven by the nauseating breaking noises as each appendage exposes grotesque views of torn flesh and protruding, jagged bones. Timothy's blood-curdling screams echo with each crunching twist, driving home the most unsettling trap in the entire franchise. 2) Saw VI: The Carousel I rather like the overall story arc of Saw VI, following a health insurance executive (William) who Jigsaw targets for obvious reasons. Mocking the way health insurance is approved and disapproved, William is forced to make life or death choices on behalf of each victim and then witness the horrific repercussions. There are interesting conundrums posed, like if a healthy twenty-something should live instead of a more aged, unhealthy housewife, but nothing captures the depravity of Jigsaw's bureaucratic commentary like "The Carousel" trap. In what becomes a sadistic carnival game, William stumbles upon a rotating carousel that six of his employes are chained to. After spinning for a short while, the carousel stops and a shotgun unloads a shot into whoever is sitting in front of it, with the ride ending after all the shots have been used up. William has the chance to save two of his colleagues though, pressing down on a button that drives a spike directly into his own hand instead. The bound characters all scream out why they should live instead of the others, and one by one William either watches them die or takes his punishment. When it comes down to the final two shots, the trap stops on Shelby, and William has the choice to either let her die for Josh's survival, or doom Josh (Shawn Mathieson) by saving Shelby. Much to Josh's dismay, William saves Shelby, sealing the man's fate as the carousel starts to spin one last time. Infuriated, Josh starts slinging an endless stream of profanities William's way, demanding that he look him directly in the eyes when the gun goes off. "YOU LOOK AT ME IN THE EYES WHEN YOU'RE KILLING ME," he screams, making for one of my favorite Saw franchise moments. Josh doesn't cry in the face of death, he just launches into a raging tirade littered with expletives, avoiding the typical rout of sobbing uncontrollably while coping with your immediate fate. Yeah, if someone decided I should die, I'd probably be a little pissed too. 1) Saw: Where It All Began Without Dr. Lawrence Gorden's first encounter with Jigsaw, none of the previous insanity would have ever been possible. Sure, by the time Saw 3D rolled around we had these technically gargantuan traps with massive complexities, but the very first Saw discovers true depravity by giving desperate characters nothing but a household tool and a choice. The moment when Gordon's character realizes what the saws are meant for still stands as one of the most memorable reaction shots in recent horror history, as survival instincts hit Cary Elwes' character like a sack full of dismembered body parts. Coming full circle from my first pick, there's nothing worse than the most barbaric of torture devices. We started out with a simple fishhook gutting its victim, and now we've reached a character forced into performing a self-amputation in order to stay alive. No crazy bells and whistles, no moving parts - just a chain, a saw, and the most despicable realization imaginable. I'm not sure James Wan could have ever predicted the franchise juggernaut his indie-horror-flick-that-could would become, especially when analyzing the evolution of traps from a simple chain to a collapsible blast furnace. Be sure to relive Saw during its 10th anniversary re-release starting October 31st, a perfect start to any horror fan's Halloween weekend!